Port Glasgow Juniors Gain Quality Mark

Friday 24 July 2009

Port Glasgow Juniors Boys Club has been awarded the Scottish FA Quality Mark Development Award.

The Award, part of the Quality Mark Accreditation Scheme run by the Scottish FA in partnership with McDonald’s, recognises proactive clubs and schools working to increase youth and community participation.

There are three Quality Mark categories - Standard, Development, and Community. So far almost 100 clubs and schools have achieved accreditation over the three categories, and over 4,000 coaches have benefited from coach education and first aid training.

To attain the Development Award, clubs must demonstrate a commitment to creating a player pathway and to the development of players through a number of age groups, including girls’ football. These clubs will have a minimum of four teams at four different age groups.

The club should also demonstrate a link to local Primary and Secondary Schools, providing School pupils with an opportunity to train or play where a School team does not exist.

West Region Club Development manager, Danny Bisland, said: “Port Glasgow Juniors have done a tremendous job so far to achieve this Award, however this won’t be the end of their involvement with the Scottish FA. The club will continue to work with myself and the local Football Development Officers to achieve the next level - Quality Mark Community Award.”

McDonald’s, official partner of the Scottish FA Quality Mark Accreditation Scheme, will invest £100,000 in the scheme over three years as part of its ongoing commitment to grassroots football in Scotland. The scheme is part of McDonald’s long-standing partnership with the Scottish FA, which has also helped to create over 1,400 community coaches across Scotland since 2002.

The Quality Mark scheme is supported by the Big Lottery Fund, which contributes to the employment of all Scottish FA club development staff, as well as discounted coach education and first aid courses for grassroots volunteers.

The Big Lottery Fund is a key Scottish FA partner, contributing £6m to the delivery of the Scottish FA Youth Action Plan.